Primitivo and Zinfandel

2005 A-Mano Primitivo
$7.99
2005 4 Vines Zinfandel
$10
Shane’s Notes

I’ve read that Primitivo and Zinfandel are closely related, and I’ve read that they are genetically the same. I’m not sure which is correct but they certainly have similar palates. We are not huge Zinfandel fans but we do drink them occasionally, and we thought it would be interesting to try the Italian version.

We took the Primitivo to Armadillo Willys to have with our barbecue ribs and chicken. It was a great choice as this Primitivo is an excellent barbecue wine. The palate entry is spicy and there is good mid palate concentration. It showed tangy, chewy fruit and there was a nice astringency on the finish. It reminded me of a Dry Creek Zinfandel. It’s a steal for $8.00.

We were very disappointed with the Four Vines Zin. Four Vines crafts an excellent unoaked Chardonnay, but this Zin is definitely overoaked. There is the barest hint of fruit flavor up front which quickly gets buried in a flood of harsh oak. The texture is so heavy that I difficulty drinking it. Peachy Canyon produces a much better zin at the same price level.